Reasonable Gun Control Steps Will Increase Public Safety

COMMENTARY

(Tim Brinton illustration )

March 15, 2013

The shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School was the latest in a series of mass shootings committed by people with access to firearms. Most citizens of Connecticut now demand stricter, more sensible gun laws, and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has responded to this call.

His priorities are clear: Respect the constitutional right of responsible, law-abiding citizens to possess firearms, strengthen our state's assault weapons ban, and give law enforcement the tools they need to intervene in time to prevent the next shooting of innocent people.

In December, the governor directed my office to begin a dialogue with all interested parties and stakeholders in this debate. The conversations are not always easy and we don't always have consensus, but we are committed to an open and honest dialogue conducted in good faith.

Public safety is at the heart of this debate. We recognize that everyone shares a common goal: protecting our children and fostering safer communities. I can say that I haven't met a single member of the manufacturing or shooting sports communities who weren't heartbroken by the tragic events of Dec. 14. Most opponents of stricter reforms want gun violence to end just as much the most ardent supporters of reform. Many of us seek the same common-sense principles, even if we disagree on how best to get there.

Last month, the governor proposed a five-point common-sense gun-safety proposal. While some problems are more complicated and require further study, such as the intersection of mental health and gun ownership, there are steps we can take now to improve Connecticut's gun laws.

The proposal addresses, among other things, these major points:

•The expansion of the assault weapons ban to include military-style semi-automatic firearms like the one used in Sandy Hook.

••A limit on magazine capacity so that a semi-automatic weapon would no longer have the ability to fire dozens of bullets without having to reload.

•A requirement that each and every gun purchase include a background check to prevent the purchase of guns by ineligible persons.

•And an endto the black market sale of guns, particularly in our largest cities, where the vast majority of murders with firearms occur each year.

The studies are clear. The Journal of the American Medical Association is the most recent to report that there is a direct correlation between stricter gun regulations and fewer firearm fatalities, overall and for homicides and suicides individually. In other words: Reasonable gun control regulation works. Simply put, fewer guns equal fewer firearm deaths.

We are well aware that some of our proposals will impact Connecticut manufacturers, including those with a long history of innovation and responsible corporate citizenship. Some of the issues related to gun violence prevention require the expertise of the manufacturing community, and that's why the crafting of gun-safety proposals won't be complete without the involvement of gun owners and manufacturers.

We acknowledge that firearms will always have a place in our state and in our nation, but times have changed. The reality of a flood of rapid-fire, ultralight, highly accurate guns requires reasonable controls.

Those for and against stricter gun regulation may never come to complete agreement, but all sides of the debate are welcome to offer their perspective and be heard. When it comes to offering input, I only ask that it be related to content and substantive factors — on how to make our communities safer, not on what hypothetical situations could be created if certain changes are enacted.

Whether the issue is a ban on high-capacity magazines, a redefinition of the term "assault weapon," safer storage regulations or expansion of permitting requirements, the most important question we must ask ourselves is: Will this decision lead to a safer, healthier Connecticut?

Mike Lawlor is the top state official on criminal justice as undersecretary of policy and management and former co-chairman of the legislature's Judiciary Committee.